The Badboys' Good Lips

3

c h a p t e r  3
tw: IPV

"What happened to your arm?"

I flinched at the voice suddenly right next to me, displaying a calm smile when I looked up to see that it was just Zoey. "Oh, hey."

"Your arm," she repeated, taking the seat across from me when I didn't address her initial question. We were in the school library and it was just after five. Cole had a class that ended in thirty minutes and he always had me stay in here to wait for him. As Zoey sat, she dropped her backpack onto the table, her eyes zeroed in on my cheek. "Shit. What happened to your face?"

My smile was soft and easy. "Oh. I fell down the stairs the other night."

Her eyes flickered with concern before she shook her head, anger flaring in her gaze. "I'm going to call the police on him."

My smile didn't drop. "You're not going to call the police on anyone," I reassured her. "Other than those stairs in my apartment, since that's what made me fall and dislocate my shoulder."

"Mae," Zoey lowered her voice, fixing me with a harsh stare. "You cannot be serious right now."

"Cole was very diligent," I went on as if she hadn't spoken. "He couldn't catch me before I tripped but he worked swiftly to take me to the hospital. Thankfully, they were able to pop it back into place and it's just sore now. Hence the sling. So there's nothing to worry about."

"I know he did this to you," she protested, eyes flickering to my cut cheek once again. "This is insane! I can't even believe you got back together with him again, but it hadn't even been a full day and he's gone back to this bullshit! I'm gonna call the cops on him."

Anxiety filled my chest at the determination in my best friend's eyes, but I continued to smile. "Cole didn't do anything to me, Zoey. If you call the police and he and I both confirm that it was only the stairs, then Cole isn't going to be very happy with you. And if he's not happy with you, then I don't think he'd like it if I continued our friendship. We... we wouldn't want that, would we?" I silently cursed myself for the pause in my words, the emotions forcing their way into the sentence even though I was trying my best to shove them down.

Zoey let out a soft sigh, rubbing a hand across her forehead. "You have a cut on your cheek and he dislocated your shoulder," she shook her head. "I already tried going to the cops on your behalf but I told you what they told me—You need to be the one to file a restraining order. I... I can't let you continue on like this. "

"Then don't," I huffed, a bit of my frustration slipping out as I stood from my seat, wincing at the ache in my sore muscles. With my right hand, I shoved my things into my tote bag before slinging it on my right shoulder, trying not to look Zoey in the eyes. "I have to go and meet Cole. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Why don't you just come and stay with me?" She tried to offer. "Mae—" but I didn't let her get any words out, rushing out of the library and leaving her staring after me.

I felt an uneasiness in my chest at the way I had just left things with her. Confrontation was not my thing and I knew she was only prying and badgering me because she cared. But there was nothing for her to worry about. People got angry and did and said things they didn't mean all the time. Forgiveness was integral to helping people understand their wrongdoings so that they could grow from them. She just didn't understand.

But my chest felt tight. I should go back and apologize to her. But one glance up at the time sent that thought to the back of my mind, my first priority now being to reach Cole's class.

It was only a few halls from the library I was at, allowing me to get there with a couple of minutes to spare. I took those precious minutes to straighten the scarf around my neck. It was the same one I had been wearing since Friday, finding excuses to pair it with all of my outfits in an effort to keep Cole from noticing the fading hickies. It was a light blue colour that covered my neck just fine, and it paired well with the light gray long-sleeve and dark blue jeans Cole told me to wear today.